Project Assistant, NPSA-5

United Nations Children's Fund

JOB DESCRIPTION

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Business management analyst, the Project Assistant (PA) will be primarily responsible for providing high quality project and administrative, coordination and monitoring support for the implementation of the projects. S/he will work with the Business management analyst to maintain key strategic and monitoring functions with UNDP (Serbia), government, and communities in line with the objective and outcomes of the projects.

 

The Project Assistant will be expected to deliver results in the areas of:

Summary of Key Functions:

•              Administration, coordination, and document management

•              Support to project implementation

•              Support to project monitoring and reporting

•              Support to project Closure

Administration, coordination, and document management

•              Set up and maintain all projects’ files, including contracts and financial records, in line with UNDP, UNEP or national policies, as relevant

•              Collect project-related information and data

•              Update work plans and budgets in UNDP’s corporate financial system (Atlas), supported by the Programme Associate

•              Administer the corporate quality review process

•              Administer project budget revision control

•              Establish document control procedures

•              Support the preparation, organisation, and distribution as relevant of all project-related documents, inclusive of correspondence, contracts, financial statements, and other documents

Support to Project implementation

•              Support the Business management analyst to ensure timely preparation and endorsement of Annual Work Plans

•              Assist in the financial management tasks under the responsibility of Business management analyst, including preparation of timely requests for financial advances and direct payments, processing approved payments with all supporting documentation

•              Provide coordination support to consultations and capacity building activities in-country and regionally, including logistics and travel

•              Support Business management analyst in procurement, recruitment, and contract management, including verifying application of government, UNDP, or UNEP procedures as relevant

•              Facilitate the activities of consultants e.g., identifying and coordinating with relevant stakeholders

•              Coordinate and provide logistics support for field visits and project-related missions

•              Maintain comprehensive project records, assets, and inventory in line with Government, UNDP, and UNEP processes, as relevant

•              Support the development and operationalisation of a sustainability plan for the project

Support to Project monitoring and reporting

•              Support Business management analyst in budget planning and monitoring of ongoing activities against the projects’ Results and Resources Framework

•              Monitor and analyse project delivery for corporate and donor reporting

•              Support Business management analyst in using (UNDP) Atlas and the Corporate Reporting Platform to update project progress, achievement of targets, risk logs, etc.

on a quarterly basis

•              Monitor financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports and oversees the overall financial processes for the projects in collaboration with the Business management analyst

•               Support Project Steering Committee meetings, including logistics and document management

•              Support the PC in managing and monitoring project risks as initially identified; support the submission of new risks to the PSC for consideration and decision on possible actions if required; and update the status of these risks by maintaining the Project Risk Log

•              Monitor financial resources for effective and transparent utilisation of available resources, in collaboration with the Business management analyst

•              Support preparation of quarterly and annual progress reports and other stipulated reports for submission to UNDP, UNEP, the GEF and the PSC as relevant, including the annual Project Implementation Report (PIR); identify risks, challenges and causes of potential bottlenecks to implementation and action mitigation measures, including modification to activities where appropriate

 

•              Participate in periodic project evaluations and audits, including developing, implementing, and updating management responses and key actions

•              Support the monitoring of previously identified/emerging social and environmental risks

Project Closure

 

Support the Business management analyst to:

•              Prepare Final Project Review Report for submission to the Project Steering Committee (PSC)

•              Identify follow-on actions and submit for consideration to the PSC

•              Ensure the completion of tasks in the project closure checklist, including preparation of reports and other documentation as required

•              Manage the transfer of project deliverables, documents, files, assets, etc.

to beneficiaries as appropriate

•              Support coordination, including logistics and travel, for the independent Terminal Evaluation

Perform any other duties within your functional profile as assigned and deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the office

 Institutional Arrangement

Reports to: Business management analyst

Competencies
Core
Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias,confront discrimination
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Thematic Area Name Definition
Finance Budget Management
  • Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets
Finance Financial Planning and

Budgeting

  • Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP’s long and short-term financial goals, including through planning,

budgeting, forecasting, analysing and reporting

Finance Financial Reporting and

Analysis

  • Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector.

Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performanceAdministration and Operations

Documents and

records management

  • Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving

Administration and OperationsInventory management

  • Each office to ensure sufficient inventory items are available for use as well as reporting for items which are beyond the corporate threshold of $5K and above.

 

Required Skills and Experience
Education:
  • High School Diploma completion is required
  • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Social Sciences, Accounting or related field will be given due consideration
Experience:
  • Minimum 5 years with High School completion or 2 years with Bachelor’s degree of professional experience in Administrative or Financial support or office operating within the international or national foreign  projects or organisations.
  • An excellent understanding of administrative and fiscal management and committed to producing timely and accurate reports and budgets
Required skills and competencies:
  • Demonstrated proficiency in use of office equipment with computer literacy in Microsoft Office, spreadsheets and power point presentations, experience in financial management systems.

Desired additional skills and competencies:

  • Experience in teamwork and coordination/implementation of complex projects/processes that included extensive communication, coordination and facilitation requirements.
  • Experience with planning workshops and conferences
  • Excellent budget management skills
  • Experience in preparation of tender documents
  • Experience with planning workshops and conferences.

Attention to details

  • Ability to communicate effectively

 

Required Languages:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English and Serbian


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